Malibu is one of the most expensive, star-studded neighborhoods in the US.
But behind the glamor of the ritzy mansions and beach houses, the wealthy enclave is being terrorized by a harmful algae bloom known as ‘red tide.’
Not only is the natural phenomenon causing ‘an absolute stench’, locals are falling sick and being forced to wearing face masks to protect against the harmful toxins it produces.
The red tides have also caused dead animals to wash up on the beaches and horrified locals have reported seeing dead sea lions, turtles, dolphins and even raccoons and dogs.
Speaking to DailyMail.com, British-American actress and Malibu resident Holly Horner says watching the red tides take hold is ‘like watching a horror movie’, with the entire coastline plagued by blood-red waters.
Her film director husband recently had to move to a hotel nearby, as the smell was so nauseating, it caused him to have severe migraines and vomit.
Describing the odor, Mrs Horner explained: ‘The stench is so revolting. It’s like a decaying death, rotten eggs and imagine the worst breath you have ever smelled on someone multiplied by 100,000.
Speaking to DailyMail.com, British-American actress and Malibu resident Holly Horner says that the entire coastline is plagued by a bi-annual blood-hued ‘red tide’
‘No amount of incense, sage and candles can hide it and it blows from the seafront through the apartment.
‘I’ve tried to block all of the holes but it is a very old building so it just keeps coming in.’
Red tides occur when colonies of algae – plant-like organisms that live in the sea and freshwater – grow out of control.
As the algae die off in huge numbers, they release hydrogen sulfide gas, which causes a strong rotten egg smell.
The process also causes the production of a potent neurotoxin that can be suspended in the air near beaches.
This toxin can kill fish, while leaving humans and pets with respiratory symptoms including shortness of breath, coughing and sneezing.
In extreme cases, breathing red tide toxins can cause serious respiratory conditions such as pneumonia, bronchitis and worsening of asthma.
Last week Mrs Horner, 43, said the stench was so bad, that she had been wearing a facemask and she also bought nose clips designed for swimming in the hope of blocking it out.
She said: ‘I’m afraid how it might also be affecting our dog and cat who keeps sniffing their little noses up into the air. It is vile!
‘When it comes to the smell – there’s nothing like it.
‘I ordered so many swimmers nose clips overnight on Amazon – they arrived today but they are too tight to use on my nose in an attempt to stop smelling.
A bioluminescent red tide seen starting to bloom off San Diego beaches
‘I have been wearing a mask on and off and when walking my dog to avoid deeply breathing the air which can cause also respiratory issues.’
Red tides can turn deadly when respiratory symptoms become severe, or when a person consumes shellfish such mussels, oysters, clams, crab and lobster as that has been contaminated by these toxins.
This consumption can cause paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP), which is fatal in roughly one in 12 cases.
While she has been living in Malibu, Mrs Horner has seen the devastating impact the red tides have had on wildlife.
The toxic red tides can produce domoic acid, which attacks the brains and hearts of marine mammals causing seizures and heart failure.
Detailing some of the haunting scenes she has witnessed, Mrs Horner says: ‘In two years of living here, I think seeing a headless dead dog on the beach was one of the weirdest things I came across.
‘Then, two weeks ago there was a huge, dead raccoon.
‘In the water, I have also come across carcasses and the other day, I was frolicking in knee-deep waves walking my dog when I nearly walked into a dead bird.
‘Last year, I think the algae must have been more potent and it was like a horror movie.
‘There were dying seals slowly going crazy on the sand as they were eating contaminated fish and it was affecting their brains.
‘Also the poor dolphins were equally impacted. It was haunting and horrific.’
In 2023, more than 100 dolphins and over 100 sea lions died in the Santa Barbara area because of domoic acid toxicity from algal blooms.
Mrs Horner says animal rescue centers ‘do their best to help’ but they are often ‘overwhelmed’ by the high number of casualties.
Malibu is one of the most expensive, star-studded neighborhoods in the US, with the average house price topping $5.9 million
She claims there were no warnings on the beach about the recent red tide and it was only through talking to neighbors and the landlord that she realized where the foul smell was coming from.
A week on, she says the smell has died down a little but the water is ‘brown, muddy and frothy.’
Experts say that red tides in California are increasing in frequency and potency.
Climate change is said to be a contributing factor, with more storms and rainfall, while nitrogen runoff from fertilizers and failing septic tanks can trigger the phenomenon.
Mrs Horner says that she has witnessed human waste washing into the ocean right by her home in Malibu.
She added: ‘I’ve witnessed firsthand how certain landlords keep the state of their septic tanks here, sometimes with no lid on them whatsoever.
‘While this is a illegal, they are very lackadaisical and nonchalant about the situation and they often proceed to cut corners with patchwork jobs.
‘The septic tanks here are right by the ocean at sea level. which means human waste washes into the ocean when the tide gets high.
This fall, the algae blooms were visible all along the California coast. Above, an aerial shot of Santa Monica pier
‘There was no lid properly fixed on the septic tank at the house next to ours when we moved in.’
Along with human waste, Mrs Horner says dog owners also need to take responsibility as ‘sometimes there is so much dog poop on the beach it’s like walking through a landmine.’
‘This also can’t be good for the health of our ocean,’ the thespian adds.
After two years of dealing with Malibu’s red tides, Mrs Horner and her husband are moving to ‘somewhere with less stinky shores.’
She concludes, slightly muffled through her facemask: ‘I really just love the irony that Malibu is this place that you could never really complain about because it’s so desirable and everyone wants to live here.
‘Every Lyft and Uber I take, people are so often mesmerized and it’s their goal to live here.
‘It’s almost like a social gaslighting, and you cannot complain about these things because for goodness sake, you’re living on the edge of the ocean and you are so lucky. But nature isn’t always pretty.
‘I have discovered this is a place with a dark and stinky underbelly.’